


let it blaze, alright

by misbehavin



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Crime Fighting, F/M, Mild Sexual Content, Pining, Protective Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 04:43:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19881847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavin/pseuds/misbehavin
Summary: “No, I just… Being a hero sounds fun. And I think, well, why can'tIdo it?”Dick breathes in and out. Fun. Of course Kory thinks of this as afunactivity.





	let it blaze, alright

**Author's Note:**

> (Another fic with Hozier lyrics as the title wow what a surprise who could have expected that from me right)
> 
> This isn't really what I hoped it would be but hopefully it's still ok! I've reread it several times & tbh it's come to a point where it just is what it is and there's not much I can do about it (sorry for any possible mistakes btw).  
> This is technically an AU but like, barely lol??  
> Hope it's enjoyable in any way and if you do like it, let me know!!

It's more upsetting than he'd like to admit to hear the girl he’s into bad mouth his alter ego.

On the upside, there's no way she or anyone here knows they're actually talking about him, so he tries not to be personally offended.

“Don't you think he's a good fighter, though?” he says, good at keeping his voice as neutral as he can.

Kory raises her eyebrows. For a brief moment, she stares a little hard at his split bottom lip. It’s still healing from the last time he got punched in the face, which unfortunately wasn't that long ago. She almost looks like she knows but– No. She couldn’t.

“Yes, but… I could take him,” she shrugs. “I could take him _and_ probably do a better job of taking down bad guys.”

“Oh, yeah, absolutely,” says Dawn, ever supportive of Kory's bad ideas. "You'd be amazing at it."

Dick has no doubt about that. But it doesn't stop him from worrying. He tenses up at the mere suggestion that Kory would search for danger, that she'd put herself in any situation where getting hurt is a possible outcome, even if the bad guys got the worst of it. She did something like that once, a few months ago: arrived at the scene before him, nearly obliterated guys twice her size. Dick had a vague idea of how, but he still made sure to let her know she shouldn't be doing any of that – no evil was worth her getting hurt over, no matter how badass she is. They even argued – as they did – but there was no settlement. There was only the small victory of the alley being dark enough that she couldn't make up his face. If she identified him, that would spark a whole new set of problems Dick wasn't ready to deal with.

He holds the pen in his hand tighter.

“You're not thinking about actually going after criminals just to spite this guy, right?”

Kory snorts.

“No, I just… Being a hero sounds fun. And I think, well, why can't _I_ do it?”

Dick breathes in and out. Fun. Of course Kory thinks of this as a _fun_ activity. “It's not about whether you can or can't do it. You shouldn't. It's not the type of life you should lead.”

Kory tilts her head to the side, her expression defiant.

“And what type of life should I lead then, Dick?”

He wants to look into her eyes but this whole conversation has been turning him inside out. He stares at his own hands then, at how full of scars they are.

“A safe one.”

Right then, the professor walks in and starts preparing for class. It's a miracle he's not as late as usual. However, his zipper is open and his hands are shaking for the second time this week.

Dick clenches his jaw. Students sleeping with professors in exchange for good grades isn't uncommon, but he can't help but feel bothered. Many of them have scholarships and would do just about anything to not lose it, and some professors like to take advantage of that. It makes Dick's skin crawl.

Kory moves her legs off the front seat, drawing his attention back to her. She sits up straighter, grinning, and says, like she truly means it, “Thank you for caring.”

He opens and closes his mouth, trying to come up with a witty remark.

“I don't,” he splutters, feeling his face get warm. “I'm just saying.”

Kory doesn't even try to hide her smile as she looks forward to the board. She taps her pen on her notebook, “Sure. Whatever you say.”

* * *

Donna makes it her personal goal to get him to ask Kory out. He's going to, eventually, when the timing is right. Right now he's got bruises all over his body and criminals keep sprouting from every corner. Bruce keeps making Alfred call him to make sure he didn't drop out or missed any more classes (last semester, for instance, was not one he's proud of). His life might look organized, with very precise schedules, but his mind is all over the place.

"Oh, please. So what if you're fucked up?" Donna says, rolling her eyes, poking into her food, "Everyone is fucked up in some way or another. And you're into her. All you do is gush about her literally all the time."

Dick eyes his own food, suddenly less appealing than when they ordered it. The smell of it is everywhere around the apartment and for some reason the thought of Kory enjoying such a simple thing won't get out of his mind. Does she prefer home-made meals? Is she a white or red wine enthusiast? He wants to know, wants to learn every little thing he hasn't already. He wonders if she believes in fortune cookies or just likes the taste of them. He pays attention to what she likes, sure, but Kory always manages to throw him out of the loop...

"I don't talk about her that much," he lies. It sounds stupid even to his own ears.

Donna snorts.

"You never shut up about her, to the point where's getting annoying. Anytime I ask you anything it's _Kory this, Kory that_. You're a goner, my friend."

Dick furrows his brow, crosses his arms. "It's not that bad."

"Yeah, it is. You sent me a selfie she took on your phone and couldn't even deny you were staring at it for like, forever. Like a loser. Then this happened," Donna takes his phone and points to the lockscreen. It's another picture Kory took during their lunch break, one where she's with her arms around his shoulders and he's about to take a bite of a slice of pizza. It's his favorite photograph of them. Also the only one, but nobody needs to know that. "Not to mention the fact that the only reason you went to that party last month was because she was gonna be there. Then you danced all night, remember that?"

Of course he does. He'd been leaning against a wall, at the corner of the room, keeping to himself because he couldn't think of a way to start a conversation with anyone. Everyone he knew had said hi at some point and moved on to mingle and enjoy the party elsewhere. Across the room, Donna kept sending him exasperated looks and he kept shrugging. Everything was totally fine! He didn't need to socialise any more than he already had. He was enjoying the music, and you know, wasn't that an important part of any party? Anyway, the thing is, Kory walked in the minute he started to consider leaving. She nagged him a bit then grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dancefloor, where they stayed and sang along to every song. Dick tried to keep up with Kory's moves, mostly to make her laugh at his awkwardness. It made him feel hot all over.

"Just do something about it," Donna says, breaking him out of his reverie. "Before it's too late."

Dick sighs. He knows Donna's right and that sucks on so many levels.

"Did you know she's royalty? From some faraway country?" he says, head in his hands.

"Yes. You've told me many times," she puts her fork down, intertwines her fingers and stares down at him, "I also have talked to her and we're well on our way to be actual friends, in case you've also forgotten."

Dick lets his head fall back and groans quietly.

Donna taps his back, laughing.

"I know, you're so embarrassing. You better hurry up or you'll lose her to someone older, smarter and prettier than you."

He rolls his eyes. "Shut up."

It makes Donna laugh harder.

* * *

Kory doesn't wear disguises. That's problem number one.

Problem number two is that, for the fifth, sixth time – who knows at this point–, she shows up while Dick's in the middle of a takedown. She's in fancy orange clothes, a bright contrast to his black and blue functional attire.

He's a focused person, not easily distracted, so he notices her by the corner of his eye and still hits a hard enough punch to the guy in front of him.

There's just this one conscious gang member left, but before Dick can deal with him, Kory steps up and kicks the man in the chest. Her hand starts glowing, then she throws two punches and knocks him out. Just like that.

She walks closer to the piles of their drug stash, barely out of breath, and out of her hands shoots fire, burns the whole thing to nothingness.

Dick watches, in awe, even though this is not the first time he sees her using her powers. It's not really a secret that she has them, but she never talks about it, even amongst friends. It's not really that much of a surprise either, given he's grown up with someone like Donna, who can probably lift him with her pinkie. He's starstruck nevertheless.

But does any of that stops him from wanting her to stay away from this? Absolutely not.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, doing his best to disguise his voice by using a rougher tone.

Kory licks her lips.

"Fighting crime. How about you?"

Dick breaths out slowly.

"You," he starts, then thinks of something. "Are you _following_ me?"

Kory smiles, and it's nearly blinding. "Maybe. I was thinking that maybe… We could be partners."

He's stunned into silence. After a beat he recovers and says, "I don't think that's a good idea. Last time I was part of a duo didn't work out so well."

"Okay," she nods, sympathetic. "Want to talk about it?"

He frowns, taken aback, then ignores her question completely. "You need to stop following me. It's not–"

"Safe?" she interrupts, giggling, "I have solar fire powers. I think I'll be fine."

Dick wants to argue some more, despite knowing it's useless.

She's already walking away when she adds, over her shoulder, "I'll give you time to consider it."

* * *

She won't stop staring.

Thanks to some miracle, there is no talking of anything but literature essays and boring classes throughout the whole week. Kory was uncharacteristically quiet, and he expects her to confront him, say 'I know' and require explanations.

Turns out she doesn't.

She only stares at him, across the hall, as if the longer she analyzes the sooner she'll figure him out.

He rises one of his eyebrows at her, but she bites down a grin like she's in some kind of joke.

Dick decides to take action. He walks towards her, determined to ask her for dinner, or lunch, or even just coffee, whichever she prefers.

Halfway there, someone runs past him and gets to Kory first. For a brief moment he thinks it's Dawn, but the girl's hair is shorter, dark-blonde.

She talks to Kory for less than five minutes, but their conversation is intimate, flirtatious in the most visible way. Kory laughs at something the girl says, even kisses her cheek before they part.

Dick swallows, changes his mind. Donna was right, he realizes. It's too late.

So he turns his back and takes the longest way home.

* * *

"You're still moping."

"Am not."

Donna pulls the blanket covering him, sits on the mattress as she rolls it into a ball and throws it to the other side of the room.

"Look, I get it. You're madly in love with this girl and well, that explains last night but c'mon."

Dick doesn't move.

He beat the shit out of that one professor who was taking advantage of students, really got the message across that he'd be back to finish him off if it ever happens again, then he went straight to the closest bar to meet up with Donna. He didn't drink, but he was in a bad mood despite the evening's success and that made him distracted, unhelpful – Donna didn't need his help to come up with her tactic plans, but he knows she would've appreciated it.

"Have you even checked your texts and missed calls today?" she asks.

"No. Why?"

Donna sighs.

She hands him his phone, and Dick sits up so fast at the sight of Kory's name he feels dizzy.

"She's fine," Donna afirms. "Probably just wasted. I need to go home and finish an essay but text me later to let me know you're both okay."

_cn you pick me up_

_im locked out of my apartmnt_

_sorry 2 bother u this late_

_im ok but need somewhere 2 crash_

He leaves in a hurry.

Fifteen minutes later he finds Kory sat on the floor with her back to the door, arms around her bag and snoring softly. She probably spent the whole night here and Dick berates himself for not checking his phone sooner.

He sits on his haunches, calls her name and shakes her shoulder lightly.

"Hey," he says, as she stirs awake. "Sorry I missed your texts."

Kory squints. "Dick?"

"Yeah, it's me. C'mon, get up, I'll drive you to my place."

"No, it's fine, I'll just wait for the locksmith or something."

He purses his lips. "That's stupid. Let's just go."

At his apartment, she sits on the couch and looks around, analysing every detail while he changes the sheets despite her insistence that it isn't necessary. She asks about a spare bedroom and he thinks about lying, but decides to say that the bed there is in desperate need of a mattress replacement. It's a half-truth, anyway.

He makes his way to the kitchen, starts rummaging through the cabinets. "Do you want anything?"

"Yes, but I don't think you have what I want."

He pauses, a cold shock running through his spine. She's obviously not talking about anything serious here and yet–

"You'd be surprised," he says, eyebrow raised.

Kory tilts her head. There's a sun ray lighting up one side of her face and Dick watches her skin glow, subtle.

"Hot chocolate then?" Kory asks, squinting.

He prepares it quickly, in companionable silence. When he puts the mug down in front of her, it's hard not to say, "You were thinking I was bitter old man in every aspect, didn't you."

"Not at all," Kory answers, her tone mocking, hiding a smirk behind the mug as she sips.

She takes a quick shower and falls asleep on his bed shortly after, only to wake up at dinner time.

Dick is done cooking the food when she emerges from the bedroom, hair tied-up and arms crossed, her long shirt covering a small fraction of her legs.

(Dick keeps his eyes above her waist, for his own good.)

"Hungry?"

Kory nods, sitting by the counter.

There's a bottle of wine Dick's been meaning to open for a while now, but as he sets up their plates, he weighs in the pros and cons of offering it to her. She could very much appreciate it or she could be annoyed at the suggestion. As far as subtletleties went, she could pretend to not understand what else he'd be putting in the table just to spare his feelings.

Kory is kind, that he knows, which means that even if there is nothing mutual between them, she wouldn't just up and leave.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" she questions, suddenly by his side. When he turns, the tip of her finger presses the frown between his forehead.

"Nothing. Do you want something to drink?"

She leans back against the cabinets.

"Sure."

Dick breathes out. Picks the wine that best matches the dish they're about to eat and thinks, screw it. He has to tell her.

Before he gets the chance, however, Kory cuts in.

"Thank you, by the way, for picking me up. And for, well, everything else."

He nods. "Anytime."

During their meal, they chat away about inconsequential things. Kory compliments his kitchen skills even, says that she should lose her apartment keys and get locked out more often if it meant coming here to eat. She is appreciative of the wine choice too, which is a win.

"Can I ask you something?" Dick blurts out at a certain point.

At her nod, he continues, "Are you seeing anyone?"

Kory opens and closes her mouth. "I went on a date with this girl yesterday but," she swallows, "It didn't… Work out."

"Oh."

"She's great," Kory adds, twirling the glass in her hand, looking at it to make sure the wine doesn't spill, "I just couldn't– It felt dishonest. I kept thinking about somebody else."

Dick takes a big gulp, drains the remaining wine in his own glass. He feels a bit lightheaded and it's not just because of the alcohol.

"Hm, is it someone I know?"

The whole world crumbles and gets reborn again in the moment Kory sighs, looks at him, and says, "Dick. Please."

He swallows past the lump in his throat, "I kinda need you to say it."

Kory bites her lip, "It's you I can't stop thinking about."

There's a pause.

"Don't act like you didn't know."

"I didn't," he rushes to say.

He stands up and rounds the counter, runs the back of his hand across his mouth. He approaches her slowly, like any wrong move could break the moment somehow.

"I– I can't stop thinking about you either."

Kory stands up too, and everything about her is welcoming: her posture, her expression. She looks about to burst into laughter from the joy of this and he feels like he's about to burst into a babbling mess and ask her to move in.

He holds her face gently, a slight tremor going through his body. He rubs his thumbs behind her ears just to watch her eyes close as she leans her face into his touch.

When he kisses her, it starts careful, soft. Kory kisses back and presses her entire body against his, her hands holding his hips tighter, making his breath hitch. He opens his mouth and Kory's fingers skate up his chest, through his hair.

He picks her up, her legs around his waist, carries her to his room.

Her skin is so much warmer than he expects and he can't help but notice that everywhere he touches and kisses her: her chest, her neck, her thighs, inside.

She arches into it, voice breaking in urgency. When she comes he allows himself to smile, as if her satisfaction is his own. He lays his head to rest on her stomach, catching his breath for a second too.

Soon, she's onto him and the way she moves almost leaves him speechless.

"You're not making enough sounds," she teases, "Is this good or not?"

A laugh almost escapes him but Kory is relentless. She's everything and he can't– He can't do anything but let it happen, let his body react anyway it does, heart hammering against his ribs and voice hoarse from calling her name.

Kory puts her forehead against his and they breathe in sync, sharing the same knowing smirk.

* * *

Class started at 8 o'clock and for some reason Kory is late. Dick keeps checking his phone, glancing between the screen and the door.

"Why are you so agitated?" asks Dawn. There's a pencil holding her hair up, only a few strands loose molding her face. She looks the picture of calm and relaxed, and Dick huffs in frustration.

"Kory is not here yet and she hasn't called."

Dawn's eyebrows do a funny dance. "And she would call you at this time in the morning because…?"

"I'm just worried," he answers, weakly. "As a friend."

They didn't exactly discuss the nature of their relationship the day before. Kory had stayed, but must have snuck out during the night when he was deep asleep. He skipped breakfast altogether when he realized that, and kept reliving the previous day to figure out if anything could've make her regret anything, if there's been a misunderstanding and they expected different things from each other. He came up empty and that, somehow, was worse.

Dawn puts her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "As a friend, right."

He ignores her.

"We're supposed to meet for lunch. And to study."

"Is that what they're calling it these days? Studying?" Hank teases from the seat behind him.

Dick turns around to glare at him.

Then his phone vibrates and a new message blinks on the screen, making Dick pause.

_Meet me outside_

She's wearing another shirt of his, but he doesn't mention it when he walks up to her. That simple thing soothes some of his worries – just not most of them.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks.

Kory tilts her head to the side, frowns, "Yeah. I think."

He reaches for her, his hand over her elbow.

"You think?"

"Oh, fuck it, I'm just gonna say it," she announces under her breath. "I burnt some of your costume."

It takes him a long time to process her words.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're probably gonna have to replace your, y'know, vigilante clothes."

Dick stays very still. She– what? But. _How_ could she– What?

"Kory what are you– You know?"

The look on her face is one of someone who is talking about what to eat for dessert, not about Dick's biggest secret. Well, one of them anyway. "You're not exactly the king of subtlety," she says, like he was already supposed to know that. "Also, sorry to tell you but that mask was hideous and it didn't hide shit."

He frowns.

"So you burned it? And my clothes?"

She hides her face on his neck. It almost makes him forget everything she just said. She knows, he keeps repeating to himself in his mind. Is that why she kept talking about his alter-ego so much? To tease him?

"It was an accident. I found it at random and I overreacted. I just– I'm still figuring out my powers," she sighs. "I'm sorry."

Dick pulls away a bit and nods, lifting her chin to make her look into his eyes.

"It's okay."

And it _is_. It was bound to happen – he only figured it'd be in the middle of a fight, in which Kory would stubbornly insert herself in.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Kory, I mean it. It's okay."

He wonders about what else to say, something that would make him seem smooth and cool and probably even make Donna proud. I have spare clothes would be true, but she has probably done the math on that. He's nothing if not careful. I was planning on renewing my look anyway would also be kind of true, since he's always updating everything. But if Donna heard it she'd think it sounds lame and well, Dick trusts her judgment.

Then he remembers Kory's offer a little while ago, and really thinks it through. He's grown so used to working alone that her suggestion surprised him. If she knew, for all this time, who he was, he doesn't quite understand why she'd even like him. He beats people up, breaks them apart, and it doesn't matter that it is for the right reasons. No one can turn a blind eye to the fact that what he does is violent, bloody, addictive even. The fact that Kory is probably the only one on campus (besides Donna) who understands that, who understands _him_ , is terrifying. He's pretty sure she wouldn't hesitate to burn some guy's face off if necessary and– that does something to Dick. He's not a bad person, maybe, but he's not that good either. And yet. There she was, asking to team-up, and there she was, last night, being mindful of the bruises on his chest, leaving her own marks in the spaces between them.

"I wanna ask you something," he starts, mind already set and certain this is what he should do, his lips close to her ear, his arms hugging her close. He inhales deeply the smell of her coconut shampoo, her perfume. This feels right.

"About us being partners… Are you still up for that?"

She tilts her head to one side. "Are you asking for me to date you or to be your literal partner in crime?"

Dick blinks. "Uh, both."

Kory grins, wide and beautiful. She kisses him briefly, and every part of him calms down. "Good."


End file.
